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Air India's rapper pilot apologizes

TNN | Updated: Feb 20, 2013, 4:59 IST

NEW DELHI: The Air India pilot — whose rap song on the airline's pathetic condition has gone viral on YouTube — on Tuesday gave a written apology to the management over the allegedly 'sexist' lyrics. The airline says it will speak to the Dreamliner co-pilot and review his past conduct before taking a final decision on him. The pilot had uploaded a rap video of himself on YouTube where he rued the fact that the airline has not been paying salaries on time and the fact that Dreamliner pilots like him are grounded ever since the aircraft was grounded. However, the repeated use of the f*** word; calling AI's aged airhostesses 'aunties' and assertion that "people at the top" ruined the airline has drawn the ire of both the aviation ministry and the management. Sample these lyrics and you may find it hard to disagree with him: "I m filing bankruptcy n I m getting broke... Y don't we punish those who f***ed up ma airline... How do I fly with women in 60ies. They call them airhostesses, we call them aunties. I work for Air India n call myself a Maharaja. But Maharaja getting f***ed with all the band baja..." In a reference to how questionable decisions have ruined AI, he sang: "It's few people at the top who f***ed us up and robbed." While he laments that "They don't even lemme leave, they don't gimme NOC (no objection certificate). Plz tell them it isn't Air Force, I aint at LoC (line of control)," the 28-year-old co-pilot swears by his love for the AI and vows to serve it always.

But these lyrics have not gone down well with the authorities. On Tuesday, the pilot spent hours with his seniors trying to explain his conduct. He is learnt to have given a written apology to the management for inadvertently hurting anyone. A senior AI official said: "Discipline has to be maintained by all employees. People are free to leave the company and then do what they want. Will any private company tolerate such behaviour from any employee? We will examine his track record before taking a final view on his immature act." While the pilot refused to speak to the media, saying he is not authorized to do so, his colleagues in the airline said the 28-year-old has been a keen musician since his school days. "He can play many instruments like guitar and piano and has sung some songs too. This was his first video and his intention was not to hurt anyone's feelings. He wanted to show what's happening in AI in a light-hearted manner and this video was meant for circulation only among the pilot/airline community," said a colleague who has known the rapper-pilot ever since the latter joined AI five years ago. Another pilot said his song only reflected the growing anger among AI employees over the airline's condition. Interestingly, the apology letter submitted by the rapper-pilot that reiterates he "did not want to hurt anyone's feelings" also offers his other talent for the airline's service. "The pilot is in the wrong profession. Since he is so talented as a musician, he should have been in a rock band," said a top AI official.